Waste Management Bulletin最新文献

{"title":"Applications of machine learning algorithms on the compressive strength of laterite blocks made with metakaolin-based geopolymer and sugarcane molasses","authors":"David Sinkhonde ,&nbsp;Derrick Mirindi ,&nbsp;Ismael Dabakuyo ,&nbsp;Tajebe Bezabih ,&nbsp;Destine Mashava ,&nbsp;Frederic Mirindi","doi":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To refine the process of anticipating the structural integrity of laterite block components, the use of machine learning (ML) algorithms is required. This study initiates an exploration into forecasting the compressive strength of laterite blocks infused with metakaolin-based geopolymer (MKG) and sugarcane molasses (SM), utilizing machine learning techniques such as artificial neural networks (ANN), random forests (RF), decision trees (DT), and support vector machines (SVM). The models were developed using four input values, including the MKG, SM, laterite soil, and water, with compressive strength as the output. Results show that for all the models, the majority of the data points lie within the error lines range of −20 % and +20 %. Using the Taylor diagram model, the results demonstrate that the SVM (train) model achieves the highest performance in predicting the compressive strength of laterite blocks, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 and the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.139. The correlation coefficient values (R) for training and testing algorithm models ranged between 0.65 and 0.99, implying that all models fairly predict the compressive strength of laterite blocks containing MKG and SM. The RF model emerges as an important model for generalization across training and testing phases, with R values of 0.9828 and 0.789, respectively. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis assesses the model’s explainability behavior. According to a SHAP-based feature importance study, age (85.33 %) and water content (17.87 %) are critical components that may improve compressive strength compared to MKG (8.60 %) and SM (6.74 %), respectively. This study not only assists in comprehending the essential parameters necessary for making well-informed decisions but also opens exciting possibilities for the application of ML in fostering sustainable construction practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101276,"journal":{"name":"Waste Management Bulletin","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100212"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143929324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Medical waste management in the State of Qatar challenges and opportunities: A review","authors":"Mohammad Albeldawi ,&nbsp;Abdulla S. Al-Mohannadi ,&nbsp;Kennedy Sigodo","doi":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100209","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100209","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Medical waste generation creates a major concern to health authorities. The State of Qatar represented by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) previously used autoclave and open burning as primary medical waste treatment options. However, changes in medical waste management have increased the focus on minimizing the pollution and health impacts of relevant regulations and practices. In particular, issues related to safety, health and the environment are now receiving increased scrutiny. The rapid urban and infrastructure development, the lack of human resource experienced in medical waste advanced technologies and lack of understanding of benefits of integrated medical waste management system lead to a cumulative impact that hampers the development of integrated medical waste management system in Qatar. Hence, this review collates information from multiple sources to provide critical information on integrated medical waste management system in Qatar. The review presents the current practices, challenges, and opportunities for using both technical and nontechnical approaches in managing hazardous medical wastes in Qatar.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101276,"journal":{"name":"Waste Management Bulletin","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100209"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143929325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental impact of PFAS incineration","authors":"Jason Kovacs ,&nbsp;Richard Higgins ,&nbsp;Nathalie Ionesco ,&nbsp;Young Cho","doi":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100202","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100202","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A first-order thermodynamic model for the incineration of poly- and per-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) in a rotary kiln incinerator (i.e., a typical hazardous waste disposal) as well as decomposition at lower temperatures used in waste-to-energy incineration processes is used to discuss the global warming potential (GWP) impact of such incineration. Approximate orders of magnitude of tons of CO₂ per ton of AFFF combusted are determined based on AFFF disposal data from a survey on the incineration of the US military’s AFFF supplies for complete and incomplete combustion of the AFFF wastewater. The model suggests that incomplete combustion of fluorosurfactants at low temperature will result in the release of high GWP waste products such as CF-alkanes. The risk of incomplete PFAS combustion may be amplified with diluted AFFF streams as the net reaction will be endothermic, potentially depressing the reactor temperature and promoting the formation of high-GWP byproducts. For more complete combustion cases evaluated, the estimated emission is on the order of 2 metric tons of CO₂ per ton of AFFF combusted. In the worst-case scenario with CF-alkane release, the expected emission is between 439 and 537 metric tons of CO₂ per ton of AFFF combusted. In this scenario, the incineration impact of 10,007 metric tons of AFFF combusted is equivalent to the emissions resulting from firing an average coal-fired power plant for approximately 3.6 years or the annual emissions of approximately 1 million automobiles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101276,"journal":{"name":"Waste Management Bulletin","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100202"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conversion of municipal solid waste to green energy: numerical studies","authors":"M. Nazim Uddin ,&nbsp;Md.Abdus Salam ,&nbsp;Salma Akhter ,&nbsp;Abu Yousuf ,&nbsp;Arup Kumar Biswas ,&nbsp;Badrul Amin Khan ,&nbsp;M. Rakib Uddin","doi":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100211","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100211","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the conventional management of municipal solid waste (MSW) are a serious environmental problem. Transformation of energy content present in MSW to combined heat and power (CHP) offers simultaneous advantages of reduction in GHG emission and pressure on finite fossil fuel reserve. Current research is devoted to developing a numerical model in Aspen Plus software to estimate the CHP generation potentiality of MSW and application to Bangladesh for the first time. CHP generation is accomplished through thermal treatment of gasification coupling with an internal combustion engine (ICE) system. Gasification model development is completed through calibration and validation. Model calibration is performed by comparing the experimental data on syngas generation from a blend of waste pulp (WP) and deinking sludge (DIS) in a pilot-scale fluidized bed reactor (FBR) whereas validation is by linking the outcomes on gasification of bamboo chips in an FBR at four different operating conditions. Sensitivity analysis identifies 850 °C and an equivalence ratio of 0.2 as the optimal conditions for air-gasification of MSW. The study estimates the CHP generation capacity of the analyzed MSW is 0.89 kWh/kg of dry solid (DS) MSW for electrical energy and 1.61 kWh/kg of DS for thermal energy. MSW in Bangladesh could generate approximately 3,300 GWh/yr of electricity and 6,000 GWh/yr of thermal energy in 2024. Electrical and thermal energy generation from MSW can reduce net annual GHG emissions of 2,510 Mt CO₂/yr compared to similar quantities of CHP generation from fossil fuels. This ensures proper MSW management, greater GHG reduction, and some relief for Bangladesh’s energy crisis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101276,"journal":{"name":"Waste Management Bulletin","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100211"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143906214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the potential of garbage enzyme as an eco-friendly option for leachate treatment collected from Pirana dumping site, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India","authors":"Dharni Parekh ,&nbsp;Sachin Vaidh ,&nbsp;Dhara Patel ,&nbsp;Shuvomoy Banerjee ,&nbsp;Gajendra Singh Vishwakarma","doi":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100210","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100210","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Garbage enzyme (GE), a bio-catalytic solution produced through the fermentation of organic waste, has gained popularity as an alternate way to wastewater and leachate treatment. This study examines the ability of GE to degrade organic pollutants, and hazardous chemicals usually present in leachate. In this regard, the leachate samples were collected from the Pirana solid waste dumping site in Ahmedabad, India. The samples were having average values of different parameters like pH: 8.8 ± 0.12 mg/L, Total dissolve solids (TDS mg/L) 19000 ± 199.9 mg/L, and Electric conductivity (EC mg/L) 21800 ± 110.12, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD mg/L) 13500 ± 2411 mg/L, and Ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₃-N mg/L): 1750 ± 15.01 mg/L. Furthermore, one of the representative samples was utilized for the exploration of the biodegradation capacity of GE of the organic pollutants present in the leachate. Before the utilization of the GE in the treatment, the GE is characterized via biochemical profiling, enzymatic activity analysis, and metagenomic profiling of microbial populations. The findings show the presence of metabolites like flavonoids, alkaloids, quinones, saponins, and cardenolides in the GE; the bacterial group <em>Acetobacter senegalensis</em> was generally considered higher in the population, and the <em>Komagataeibacter swingsii was in</em> low abundance<em>.</em> In addition to that, the presence of enzymes like lipase and amylase was also confirmed with the further biochemical analysis. The treatment efficiency showed the significant reduction in the COD (47 % for citrus fruit GE and 60 % for the non-citrus fruit GE) and NH₃-N 40 % for citrus fruit GE and 45 % for the non-citrus fruit) GE as compared to the control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101276,"journal":{"name":"Waste Management Bulletin","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100210"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143869874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing salt-stress tolerance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum): The crucial role of bio-compost and rhizospheric Luteimonas spp","authors":"Yanting Chen ,&nbsp;Jia Ding ,&nbsp;Ning Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Ding ,&nbsp;Yuquan Wei ,&nbsp;Ji Li ,&nbsp;Guo-chun Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rhizosphere microbiome, as the ‘second genome’ of plants, greatly extends the ability of plants to cope with various biotic and abiotic stresses. Organic amendments have also been demonstrated to elevate the tolerance of plants to salt-stress. However, the interlinking between rhizosphere microbiome, plant tolerance to salt-stress, and organic amendments remains unclear. Herein, two halotolerant microbial consortia (H1 and H2) expedited the composting process without affecting the quality of the resulting composts. Interestingly, both bio-composts (C-H1 and C-H2), especially C-H1, greatly improved the growth and photosynthetic ability of tomato under salt-stress by 25.63 % to 56.0 %. The levels of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase activities, and the content of malondialdehyde in tomato by C-H1 were 67.6 %, 76.9 %, 137.4 %, and 276.3 % higher, respectively, than those by the control compost (C). The 16S rRNA profiling analysis revealed that compost fertilization shifted the microbial community in the tomato rhizosphere, leading to a consistent enrichment of <em>Luteimonas</em> and a transient enrichment of <em>Conexibacter, Solirubrobacter, Lactobacillus</em>, and <em>Ureibacillus,</em> especially C-H1. <em>In vitro</em> analysis further confirmed that a <em>Luteimonas</em> bacterium which was over-represent in the rhizosphere of bio-compost-fertilized tomatoes promoted the growth of root by 29.9 % and 15.8 % at 0.4 % and 0.8 % NaCl, respectively. In conclusion, bio-compost could improve salt tolerance of tomato by stimulating the expression of salt-tolerance-related enzymes and recruiting beneficial <em>Luteimonas spp</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101276,"journal":{"name":"Waste Management Bulletin","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100208"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143844180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Process Residues in Cement Clinker Production: A Review","authors":"Emmanuel Mache,&nbsp;Magdalena Rajczakowska,&nbsp;Andrzej Cwirzen","doi":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100205","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100205","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Portland cement (PC) production accounts for about 8 % of global CO₂ emissions. As the demand for cement grows, sustainable alternative raw materials for cement production are essential for reducing the impacts of its production. Process residues from industrial processes like mine tailings, metallurgical slags, incinerated municipal solid wastes (MSWI), glass industry wastes, and Kraft pulp mill wastes are being studied as suitable raw materials for clinker production. These materials contain CaO, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, and Fe₂O₃, which are required for the formation of tricalcium silicate (C₃S, alite), dicalcium silicate (C₂S, belite), tricalcium aluminate (C₃A), and tetracalcium aluminoferrite (C₄AF) clinker phases. However, these raw materials may contain impurities such as alkali oxides and heavy metals, which can significantly influence the clinkering process. While alkali oxides tend to lower the eutectic temperature, heavy metals can modify phase stability and hinder the formation of essential clinker phases. This review examines whether these residues are chemically and mineralogically suitable for alternative raw materials. It examines their impact on phase transformations, reactions, environmental sustainability, hydration and performance of the resultant cement. Process residues in clinker production present challenges and opportunities, affecting hydration, workability, and setting times. However, research remains limited to the combined effects of multiple residues on clinker reaction kinetics, durability, heavy metal stabilization, and life cycle impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101276,"journal":{"name":"Waste Management Bulletin","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100205"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143869873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A green process for lignin extraction and lignocellulose degrading enzyme production from rice straw by solid state fermentation with Streptomyces thermoviolaceous strains","authors":"Sonam Priyadarshani ,&nbsp;Preeti Nandal ,&nbsp;Anju Arora ,&nbsp;Gautam Chawla ,&nbsp;Rajesh kumar ,&nbsp;Debarup Das ,&nbsp;Archna Suman","doi":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100207","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100207","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Actinobacteria belonging to genus <em>Streptomyces</em> are a versatile group actively involved in global C cycle with abilities to degrade several recalcitrant substrates. Inhabiting diverse ecological niches, they are active in different pH and temperature regimes thus a source of robust enzymes for exploitation in bioprocessing. Compost is one such habitat supporting huge microbial diversity, lignocellulolytic actinobacteria being predominant in community. In this study, two actinobacterial strains isolated from compost through enrichment culture, identified as <em>Streptomyces thermoviolaceous</em> S1 and S2, showed lignocellulolose degrading enzyme production. When grown on rice straw under solid state fermentation they disrupted lignocellulose matrix. Structural changes in solid substrate were observed by non-invasive techniques SEM, XRD and FTIR. Alkali extraction of fermented solids removed about ∼ 33 % lignin from rice straw while buffer extracts showed high specific activities of all three components of cellulases, xylanase (84 IU/ mL), laccase (59 IU/ mL) and lignin peroxidase (26 IU/ mL).</div><div><em>S. thermoviolaceous</em> S2 showed better enzyme activities, lignin removal and cellulose enrichment than S1 (53.03 % and 49.01 % by <em>S. thermoviolaceous</em> S2 and S1 respectively). Alkali extraction led to efficient lignin removal than buffer extraction as evident from higher absorbance of alkali extracts (@205 nm) which was corroborated by higher recovery of acid precipitable lignin. Better cellulose enrichment enabled higher glucan loading and higher sugar yields upon enzymatic saccharification than uninoculated substrate. This study outlined a green like process involving biological treatment of rice straw with <em>S. thermoviolaceous</em> strains for delignification, lignin recovery and simultaneous lignocellulose degrading enzyme production for biomass processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101276,"journal":{"name":"Waste Management Bulletin","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100207"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143828912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysing disparities between household food waste metrics and their socioeconomic drivers in Chamwino District, Tanzania","authors":"Denis M. Silayo,&nbsp;Abiud J. Bongole,&nbsp;Mary Kulwijila","doi":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100206","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100206","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Food waste measurement has garnered significant attention in recent years due to its critical role in devising interventions to mitigate the environmental, social, and economic impacts of food waste. However, the absence of a standardized protocol for Food Waste (FdW) quantification remains a key obstacle in formulating and evaluating effective minimization strategies. This study utilizes Bland-Altman plots and regression analysis to evaluate the agreement between Self-Reported Food Waste (SR_FW) and Direct Weighing Food Waste (DW_FW) in a sample of 402 randomly selected households in Chamwino District, Tanzania. It also investigates the socioeconomic factors influencing disparities between these measurement methods, providing valuable insights into the drivers of these discrepancies. The findings reveal a bias of 0.100067 Kilogram (kg), indicating that SR_FW measurements significantly underestimate household FdW. On average, respondents report edible FdW of 0.032703 kg through SR_FW, while DW_FW measures 0.132769 kg. Furthermore, gender, age, marital status, house ownership, awareness, and price and cost sensitivity are identified as significant factors influencing the bias between the two methods. The study concludes by advocating for increased awareness creation, the combined use of SR_FW and DW_FW methods, and measures to foster household accountability. These recommendations aim to enhance the accuracy of FdW quantification and support the development of effective waste reduction strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101276,"journal":{"name":"Waste Management Bulletin","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100206"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143824435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comprehensive review on exposure to toxins and health risks from plastic waste: Challenges, mitigation measures, and policy interventions","authors":"Salia S. Sheriff ,&nbsp;Abdulfatah Abdu Yusuf ,&nbsp;Oluwole O. Akiyode ,&nbsp;Ezekiel Fayiah Hallie ,&nbsp;Saidi Odoma ,&nbsp;Rebecca Alicia Yambasu ,&nbsp;Kula Thompson-Williams ,&nbsp;Charles Asumana ,&nbsp;Sylvester Z. Gono ,&nbsp;Mohammed A. Kamara","doi":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100204","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wmb.2025.100204","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid accumulation of plastic waste in the environment poses a significant global challenge, exacerbating ecosystem pollution and public health risks. Annually, approximately 8 million tons of plastic waste enter the oceans, contributing to ecosystem degradation and human exposure to toxic substances. Toxins such as phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), dioxins, furans, and heavy metal residues released from plastic degradation cause severe health risks, including endocrine disruption, carcinogenesis, and respiratory diseases. This study reviews exposure pathways and bioaccumulation mechanisms of plastic-derived toxins, their health risks, mitigation strategies, and policy interventions. The findings reveal that BPA concentrations in rivers can exceed 12 µg/L, and dioxins in soil surpass 1000 ng Toxic Equivalency Quotient (TEQ)/kg in areas with open burning, exceeding WHO thresholds. In Poland, landfill leachate shows phthalate levels over 303 µg/L, while heavy metals in fish tissue reached over 2.26 ng/g wet weight in Sweden. Vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, face heightened risk exposure, with 39–45 % of urban waste being formally managed. Despite recycling efforts, only 9 % of plastic waste is recycled globally, while open burning and inadequate incineration release hazardous pollutants like dioxins and furans. Advanced solutions, such as chemical recycling, with recovery rates up to 97 % for polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and enzymatic degradation, achieving 90 % plastic breakdown in 10 h, show promise but face scalability challenges. Case studies from Germany, Japan, and Rwanda demonstrate effective strategies, including extended producer responsibility schemes and bans on single-use plastics, achieving recycling rates exceeding 41 % and reducing waste by 90 %. However, challenges persist, particularly in low- and middle-income countries with inadequate waste management infrastructure. This study concludes by recommending stricter regulations, investment in advanced recycling technologies, development of bioplastics, and international collaborations to mitigate health risks and environmental contamination from plastic waste.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101276,"journal":{"name":"Waste Management Bulletin","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100204"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143825416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}